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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · cabinet · foot · degree · ruler · spell · pitcher · cell

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. cell — a phone
  11. race — humankind
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. degree — an amount
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. degree — temperature
  20. race — a contest
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com